Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Efficacy Of Depth Jump Parameters As A Recovery Monitoring Tool, Lane Johnson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Background: Fatigue monitoring is an important aspect for athletic coaches to monitor the level of readiness of an athlete. Monitoring of an athlete’s fatigue status helps identify the need to adjust one’s training program, identify injury risk, and help attain an athlete’s peak performance when it is most advantageous for them. More research is warranted that examines the effects of a comprehensive set of jump parameters to track recovery from muscle impairing exercise. This study focused on the onset of muscle soreness through eccentric resistance exercise. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to examine the efficacy of force plate …

Effects Of Blood Flow Restriction During Acute Multi-Joint Eccentric Exercise On Muscle Recovery, Cody Fisher

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise has become an increasingly common modality due to evidence that it may yield positive muscle-related effects from low-intensity exercise. However, eccentric-only exercise in a multi-joint format has not yet been investigated in regard to the BFR influence on muscle recovery characteristics. The purpose of this study was to assess muscle recovery responses via isometric peak force (PF), soreness (i.e., VAS, PPT, PPD), and functional power (i.e., SLHD) following a 5-minute low-load multi-joint eccentric exercise bout with or without blood flow restriction. Thirty participants were randomly assigned into either an eccentric-only (CON) or an eccentric BFR …

Peer-Mediated Family Support Project: Evaluation Of Changes In Family Quality Of Life, Preethy S. Samuel, Elizabeth Janks, Nia S. Anderson, Michael Bray, Christina Topolewski, Sharon Milberger

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The Family Quality of Life (FQOL) approach represents a paradigm shift from fixing to supporting people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) by changing the focus from the individual to the family and highlighting strengths rather than deficiencies. Aging family caregivers of individuals with I/DD often encounter obstacles, including accessibility, acceptability, and affordability of services. Little is known about best practices to support aging families of adults with I/DD. Understanding how a state-wide peer-mediated family support project implemented in this study helped improve the FQOL of aging caregivers is important in broadening participation of other caregivers in these types of programs. To …

Design Guidelines For Homeless Shelter And Resource Center Site Plans, Samuel Johnson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Homelessness is one of the most pressing humanitarian issues facing the country today. Lack of affordable housing, among many other complicating factors, have led to many cities scrambling to find both short-, middle-, and long-term solutions to the issue. The Covid-19 pandemic added a disruption in services, critical record-keeping, and data-gathering, which has further confounded experts looking for an effective path forward. As it stands, there is a significant gap in academic research addressing best practices for shelter site design, particularly as it relates to landscape. The role of landscape and greenspace within and around a shelter is not well …

Preliminary Validation Of The Conditioned Assessment Of Speech Production In Spanish, Alliete R. Alfano, Tan Li

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Purpose: This study focused on the preliminary concurrent validity between the CASP and CASP-S to answer the following questions: (1) Do obtained scores on the CASP-S correlate to the CASP? (2) Do the two assessments categorize children with and without hearing loss similarly in terms of vocal development?

Method: Eighteen Spanish-English bilingual children (12-43 months) participated in this study; 12 had typical hearing; 6 had severe-to-profound hearing loss. During the study, the clinician modeled specified vocalizations over Zoom for the parent to repeat, then the parent imitated the vocalization for the child to repeat. Approximately a week later, the CASP-S …

Suppressing A Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method To Assess An Inhibitory Postural Response, David A. E. Bolton, Charlie C. Baggett Iv, Chase A. Mitton, Sara A. Harper, James K. Richardson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Stepping to recover balance is an important way we avoid falling. However, when faced with obstacles in the step path, we must adapt such reactions. Physical obstructions are typically detected through vision, which then cues step modification. The present study describes a novel method to assess visually prompted step inhibition in a reactive balance context. In our task, participants recovered balance by quickly stepping after being released from a supported forward lean. On rare trials, however, an obstacle blocked the stepping path. The timing of vision relative to postural perturbation was controlled using occlusion goggles to regulate task difficulty. Furthermore, …

Association Between Visuomotor Skills And The Effects Of Stroboscopic Vision On Depth Jump Performance, Riley Welch

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The reactive strength index (RSI) is a popularized method of evaluating depth jump performance. Performance in anticipation of ground impact is influenced by the proprioceptive, vestibular, and visuomotor systems through multisensory integration. The contribution of vision to depth jump performance has been studied through use of stroboscopic goggles, but no study has evaluated which visuomotor skills may be a predictor for DJ performance. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the association between visuomotor skills and the effects of stroboscopic vision on DJ performance. Participants consisted of 9 female and 13 male college aged adults. DJ performance was evaluated …

Comparative Effects Of Eccentric Overload Training On Muscle Function Measures When Combined With Aquatic Plyometric Training, Cassidy Weeks

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Although there is a growing body of knowledge on eccentric resistance training and aquatic plyometric training on muscle function measures alone, no research to date has investigated the effects of a mixed training model. Aquatic plyometrics and overload eccentric training are two different training models which could work synergistically because the shortcomings of one model are the virtues of the other (i.e., plyometrics are not as effective at producing large muscle size and strength gains and eccentric-only training largely lacks the functional SSC component). The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the effects of a combined eccentric …

No Evidence Of Stochastic Resonance In Postural Sway Response To Noisy Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation In Healthy Young Adults, Dominique Rice

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The transcutaneous application of a sub-sensory electrical stimulation to the vestibular afferents, known as noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS), is thought to cause a reduction in postural sway at optimal amplitude intensities due to a mechanism known as stochastic resonance (SR). SR is a phenomenon whereby the addition of low amplitude noise to a non-linear system can be beneficial rather than detrimental. In humans, behavioral markers of SR in postural sway have been inconsistent, potentially due to insufficient power or false positives. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to determine whether the frequency of observing SR-like effects improves …

Mindfulness-Based Practices For The Impaired Performance Athlete, Mackenzie L. Campbell

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Mindfulness-based programs are becoming commonly considered for the improvement of athlete's mental and physical state. However, their usage in improving performance in impaired athletes is limited and not fully understood. The purpose of this thesis was to review the standing literature on the topic of the application of mindfulness to improving athletic performance in wellbeing-impaired athletes. Seventy-three articles were included as references for this paper describing functional mechanisms, clinical significance and anecdotal evidence that points to the effectiveness of mindfulness in sport for the treatment of pain, injury recovery, prevention of injury, and chronic illness. Ultimately, this review supports the …

Exercise And Chronic Pain, Maren Wright Voss, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Casey Coombs, Gabriela Murza, Cindy Nelson, Elise Withers

All Current Publications

Chronic pain is perhaps the most pervasive medical issue in the United States. The long-term impacts of chronic pain often cause individuals to reduce or eliminate physical activity. Chronic pain can impact physical, mental, and emotional well-being, which can limit daily activity and quality of life. The purpose of this fact sheet is to address the common barriers to being physically active with chronic pain and provide suggestions for safe ways to be physically active even when chronic pain is present.

Applied Behavior Analysis For The Treatment Of Autism: A Systematic Review Of Assistive Technologies, Fábio Junior Alves, Emerson Assis De Carvalho, Juliana Aguilar, Lucelmo Lacerda De Brito, Guilherme Sousa Bastos

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Student Research

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that may lead to significant impairment in social communication, repetitive patterns of behavior, and possible fixed and restricted interests. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a well-supported and evidence-based treatment for the delays attributed to ASD. Assistive technologies, such as gamification, software apps, computer-based training (Web), and robotics; provide a standardized method of implementing ABA techniques. This review provides a synthesis of the main characteristics of these technologies. The assessed proposals focused on technologies such as Distributed Systems, Image Processing, Gamification, and Robotics. The primary objectives of these tools sought to improve social …

Effects Of Behavioral Skills Training On Teachers Conducting The Recess-To-Classroom Transition, Sarah C. Smith, Thomas S. Higbee

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Elementary school teachers transition their students from recess to the classroom multiple times a day. When students do not line up quickly or are disruptive in line, teachers can spend valuable instructional time trying to manage students’ inappropriate behaviors. The result is a loss of instructional time that could lead to a decrease in student performance. This study examined how teachers could use behavioral skills training with their students as a way to reduce the length of the recess-to-classroom transition with second–fourth graders. After teachers were trained, they provided their students with training, which included instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. …

Creating Digital Activity Schedules To Promote Independence And Engagement, Kassidy S. Reinert, Thomas S. Higbee, Lyndsay D. Nix

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Photographic activity schedules have been demonstrated to be effective in helping individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities learn how to complete both simple and complex sequences of activities without prompting from adults. Although the majority of research studies demonstrating the effectiveness of activity schedules have used schedule books composed of static printed pictures attached to physical pages, recently researchers have begun to demonstrate the effectiveness of technology-based activity schedules. In the current article, we provide a task analysis for creating both simple and complex digital activity schedules using Google Slides, a freely available, web-based technology that operates on a …

The Urban/Rural Divide In Access To Medication-Assisted Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder In Utah, Debasree Dasgupta, Erin Fanning Madden, Sandra H. Sulzer, Timothy Light, Michelle Chapoose, Suzanne Prevedel

All Current Publications

Death by drug poisoning is the leading cause of death due to injury in the state of Utah (UDOH, 2014). From 2013-2015, Utah ranked seventh in the nation for drug overdose deaths, the majority of which were opioid-related (CDC, 2018a). In 2017, the age-adjusted mortality rate from drug overdose in Utah was 15.5 per 100,000, putting the state above the national average of 14.9 per 100,000 (CDC, 2018b). Opioid overdose death rates in most of rural Utah far exceeds rates across the urban counties of the state. The higher rates of deaths in rural Utah is indeed concerning. Evidence indicates …

Creating And Sharing Digital Instructional Activities: A Practical Tutorial, Stephanie L. Mattson, Thomas S. Higbee, Juliana Aguilar, Beverly Nichols, Vincent E. Campbell, Lyndsay D. Nix, Kassidy S. Reinert, Sara Peck, Kylee Lewis

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

BCBAs may encounter situations, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, that preclude them from providing traditional in-person ABA services to clients. When conditions prevent BCBAs and behavior technicians from working directly with clients, digital instructional activities designed by BCBAs and delivered via a computer or tablet may be a viable substitute. Google applications, including Google Slides, Google Forms, and Google Classroom, can be particularly useful for creating and sharing digital instructional activities. In the current paper, we provide task analyses for utilizing basic Google Slides functions, developing independent instructional activities, developing caregiver-supported instructional activities, and sharing activities with clients and …

Public Transportation Accessibility: Perceptions Of Riders With Disabilities In Utah, Cherissa R. Alldredge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Transportation plays an essential role in social inclusion and participation, subjective well-being, and overall quality of life. A lack of private transportation options may make individuals with disabilities more dependent on public transportation systems. Despite increased use, people with disabilities continue to report barriers accessing public transportation services. Interestingly, little is known about these barriers at the regional transportation district level. The purpose of this study was to better understand the barriers and perceived accessibility of the Utah Transit Authority’s (UTA) public transportation system for individuals with disabilities living within the UTA service area.

Using an online survey, data were …

Evaluating The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services To Treat Performance Problems Of Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Brian H. Hess

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Unemployment is a problem for individuals with disabilities. Supported employment provides occupational supports for individuals with disabilities to get a job and keep that job once hired. The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is used to address performance problems with employees in human services settings. This study evaluated using the PDC-HS with three adults with intellectual disabilities working in supported employment at a library cleaning shelves. The results of the PDC-HS identified insufficient training and prompting as barriers. The matched intervention package was effective in increasing performance of the shelf-cleaning task for all participants. Participant responses to a social validity …

Comparison Of Land And Aquatic Loaded Countermovement Jump Landings In Female Ncaa Division I Collegiate Athletes, Samantha L. Nielson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate alterations in lower extremity kinematics during the landing phase of a countermovement jump when performed in different environments and under multiple external loads. Twenty-four NCAA Divison I collegiate female athletes performed 12 countermovement jumps on land and 12 jumps in water, submerged to the xiphoid process, for a total of 24 jumps. Within each environmental condition, four loading conditions of three jumps each were performed using a weighted vest: Unloaded, 10%, 20%, or 30% of body mass. The hip, knee, and ankle angles were measured as the smallest angles between the major …

Training Parents In Descriptive Assessment And Function Identification, Makenzie Sip

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is often difficult for parents to address their child’s problem behavior. Children with special needs can display more frequent and intense problem behavior. Therefore, professionals need to help parents of children with special needs identify how to decrease their child’s problem behavior. Professionals help to decrease problem behavior by performing assessments called descriptive assessments to identify why the problem behavior is happening, and then using these assessments to create an appropriate plan of how to prevent and respond to the problem behavior. We examined if parents could be taught the skills necessary to perform descriptive assessments and then use …

Examining Effects Of Technology Level And Reinforcer Arrangements On Preference And Efficacy, Audrey N. Hoffman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Applied behavior analysts use reinforcement to enact socially meaningful outcomes with the individuals that they work with. Identifying the ways in which reinforcers function optimally is an important consideration for behavioral research. Preference for reinforcers, and how effective reinforcers are, may change depending upon several factors. Two important factors to consider are how reinforcers are arranged and the technology level of the reinforcers used. Reinforcers can be delivered following every response in a distributed manner or they can be delivered following several responses in an accumulated manner. Additionally, leisure items used as reinforcers can be classified according to technology level, …

Dynamic Stability On Land And In Waist-Deep Water: Comparison Between Young And Middle Aged Adults, Christie Bunnell

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare dynamic stability on land and in water, between young and middle-aged adults performing plyometric exercises. Twenty adults were asked to volunteer: Young = 24.40 ± 2.63 years, n = 10 and middle-aged = 46.80 ± 3.05 years, n = 10. Participants performed three plyometric exercises (countermovement jump, squat jump, and drop landing) on land and in waist-deep water. Dynamic stability was assessed during landing for each exercise using a time to stabilization (TTS) paradigm. Data were collected via a waterproof force plate positioned on an adjustable-depth pool floor and analyzed with a …

Effect Of Aquatic Immersion On Static Balance, Talin J. Louder

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Objective To quantitatively assess measures of static balance and limits of stability (LOS) in an aquatic environment compared to on land. Methods Fifteen healthy, young adults (23 + or - 2 years) performed 90 s static balance trials on land and aquatic immersion at two different depths (greater trochanter, xiphoid process). Measures of 95% ellipse area and center of pressure (CoP) mean velocity were computed from the force data. Additionally, participants completed a visual analog scale (VAS) of perceived stability for each environmental condition. Following the static balance trials, participants performed anterior-posterior and medial-lateral LOS assessments. Results Significant differences in …

Lactate Threshold: Land Versus Water Treadmill Running, Ron T. Garner

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Aquatic treadmill running has become increasingly popular for rehabilitation and training purposes due to decreased joint impact on the lower extremities, which is beneficial for special populations such as the injured, elderly, arthritic, and obese (Greene et al., 2009; Hall, Grant, Blake, Taylor, & Garbutt, 2004). Accordingly, researchers have compared key differences such as heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), stride frequency, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) between land and water running at maximal and submaximal efforts (Brubaker, Ozemek, Gonzalez, Wiley, & Collins, 2011; Rife, Myrer, Feland, Hunter, & Fellingham, 2010; Rutledge, Silvers, Browder, & …

Modern Technology And An Aging Population: Can The Use Of The Wii Fit Gaming System Improve Functional Balance In Community Dwelling Seniors?, Curtis N. Phillips

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Seniors are a growing segment of the population of the United States. By 2030 they will make up nearly 20% of the general population. Senior citizens face many health challenges as they age. Injury due to falling is a major concern for many in this age group. Research shows that approximately one third of seniors will fall each year. Injuries that result from falls have been identified as the number one cause of accidental death in this age group each year. While falls have been studied by researchers for a number of years, and some progress has been made in …

Using Dual Tasks To Test Immediate Transfer Of Training Between Naturalistic Movements: A Proof-Of-Principle Study, Sydney Y. Schaefer, Catherine E. Lang

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Theories of motor learning predict that training a movement reduces the amount of attention needed for its performance (i.e. more automatic). If training one movement transfers, then the amount of attention needed for performing a second movement should also be reduced, as measured under dual task conditions. The purpose of this study was to test whether dual task paradigms are feasible for detecting transfer of training between two naturalistic movements. Immediately following motor training, subjects improved performance of a second untrained movement under both single and dual task conditions. Subjects with no training did not. Improved performance in the untrained …

Functional Rehabilitation Of Low Back Pain With Core Stabilization Exercises: Suggestions For Exercises And Progressions In Athletes, Joshua Johnson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Introduction: Low back pain is very common in the adult population and accounts for more time lost from work than other diagnoses. It also affects athlete's at all different levels of competition and results in missed practice and game time. Diagnosing and treating a specific pathology is often difficult because clinical evaluation and radiologic studies are often unable to find a root cause. A popular treatment approach with a high volume of anecdotal evidence is the use of core stabilization exercise in the treatment of low back pain.

Purpose: To evaluate exercise as a treatment for a low back pain …

Whole Body Vibration In Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rehabilitation, Sara Ruby Vargas

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

There has been an increasing prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. In the literature describing ACL rehabilitation program flexibility, muscle strength, proprioception, and postural stability have been identified as reoccurring struggles that have arisen during rehabilitation. Whole Body Vibration (WBV) has been investigate as a rehabilitation tool that can be used when recovering from an ACL injury. Research has suggested that WBV can be used to increase flexibility, improve muscular strength, increase proprioception, and improve postural stability. The purpose of this review is to gather the WBV protocols used in previous research and apply them to ACL rehabilitation. An …

Utah State University Return To Play Criteria Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery, Benjamin Hamilton

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

An injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee is a very traumatic experience. Most of these injuries will be a complete rupture of that ligament, and because of the nature of the ligament, the repair process will require surgery; however, a small number of athletes have learned how to successfully stabilize the ACL-deficient knee and return to activity (Hartigan et al, 2010). For the thousands of athletes who undergo surgery to repair their ACL, this is in hopes they can return to physical competition and an active lifestyle. The ACL is also repaired in hopes of preventing …

Effect Of Whole Body Vibration On Sterotypy Of Young Children With Autism, Mandi W. Gibbons

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Objective: To determine if acute whole body vibration exposure influences stereotyped behavior of young children with autism.

Design: Single-case pilot study.

Setting: Early intensive behavioral intervention clinic.

Subjects: A convenience sample of four young boys (ages 4-5 yrs) diagnosed with autism.

Interventions: Standing on a whole body vibration platform with the machine turned off (control condition) and on (treatment condition) for three to four, 30-s periods (frequency = 28 Hz; amplitude 0.97 mm).

Main measure: The outcome measure was frequency of stereotypic behavior, which was evaluated for 5-min before and after standing on the vibration platform. Between 10-40 observation-condition-observation sessions …